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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — certain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com